4th Place Winner of the 2026 Cup of Excellence Nicaragua – Natural & Honey Category (88.81 points)

About Cup of Excellence

Cup of Excellence is one of the world’s most prestigious coffee competitions, organized by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence. Each year, hundreds of coffees are submitted by producers hoping to earn recognition among the finest coffees their country has to offer.

These coffees undergo multiple rounds of rigorous blind evaluation by national and international juries composed of experienced coffee professionals. Each coffee is evaluated for attributes including flavor, aftertaste, acidity, sweetness, mouthfeel, balance, and overall quality. Only the highest-performing coffees advance through the competition, ultimately earning the distinction of Cup of Excellence winners.

Unlike other coffee scoring systems, Cup of Excellence uses its own rigorous evaluation standards. Scores are not directly interchangeable between organizations such as Coffee Review, Q Grading, and Cup of Excellence. An 88-point Cup of Excellence coffee, for example, may represent an exceptionally high level of quality despite receiving a lower numerical score than coffees evaluated under other systems.

Cafe Kreyol has also had the privilege of serving on the International Jury for Cup of Excellence, giving us firsthand experience evaluating some of the world’s most extraordinary coffees.

About Rony Herrera & Fila Quemada

Rony José Herrera Ortez is a third-generation coffee producer from Nicaragua whose family has dedicated decades to cultivating exceptional coffee in the mountains of Nueva Segovia. Growing up alongside his father and grandfather, Rony developed an appreciation for the patience, dedication, and attention to detail required to produce outstanding coffee.

Established in 2007, his farm, Fila Quemada, is located in San Fernando, Nueva Segovia, within the mountainous Dipilto-Jalapa region. Situated between approximately 1,475 and 1,620 meters above sea level, the farm benefits from a distinctive mountain microclimate that provides favorable conditions for growing high-quality specialty coffee.

For Rony, coffee production is more than an agricultural business. It represents a family legacy built upon generations of experience, with each harvest presenting another opportunity to improve quality and showcase the potential of Nicaraguan coffee.

In 2026, Rony made the decision to experiment with natural processing for the first time, specifically with the goal of competing in the Nicaragua Cup of Excellence. He carefully selected only the ripest coffee cherries, closely monitored fermentation temperatures, and meticulously managed each stage of processing to develop an exceptional competition lot.

His efforts were rewarded when Fila Quemada earned 4th place in the Natural & Honey category of the 2026 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence, scoring an impressive 88.81 points.

This naturally processed Catuai, which we’ve named Concord, showcases an extraordinary combination of fruit intensity and sweetness. Our cupping revealed rich Concord grape and vibrant lychee notes, complemented by deep dark chocolate, creating a complex and memorable sensory experience.

What makes this achievement particularly remarkable is that it represents Rony’s first attempt at natural processing for the competition. His willingness to experiment, combined with generations of farming knowledge, demonstrates how innovation and tradition can come together to produce exceptional coffee.

We’re proud to feature Rony’s award-winning coffee as part of Cafe Kreyol’s limited holiday competition collection, celebrating the dedication, craftsmanship, and passion of producers who continue to push the boundaries of specialty coffee.

We serve whole bean coffee for maximum quality and freshness.